Portable vegetable packing bin



April 6, 1937. B. F. REICHENBERGER PORTABLE VEGETABLE PACKING BIN Filed Jan. 29, 1936 INVEN 70/? BENED/CT F. RE/GHENBERGER Bk 46 4' ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE VEGETABLE PACKING BIN Benedict F. Reichenberger, Maricopa. County, Ariz.

Application January 29, .1936, Serial No. 61,432

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in portable bins used for transporting vegetables suchas lettuce, cabbage, carrots and other similar crops from the field to a packing shed and thence along a run-way in said shed contiguous to the line of packing operations; and the objects of my improvements are,

First, to provide a bin having slanting sides angularly disposed relative to the bottom so' that when the bin is tipped laterally one of the sides will become a trimming or packing bench;

Second, to provide a bin of this class which may be easily attached to, or detached from a wheeled carriage;

Third, to provide a bin of the class described which is adapted to be suspended in a laterally tipped or inclined position on rails to provide free longitudinal movement along the packing line;

Fourth, to provide adjustable means for laterally elevating one side of a'bin of the class described;

And fifth, to provide retention of pre-determined portions-of the pack within said-bin, after laterally elevating one side thereof. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain these objectives by the construction devices and mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aside elevation thereof, showing the bin in a horizontal position with the position of the longitudinal elevational rail indicated, but not at proportional elevational height, as indicated by' break line 46;

Figure 2, an end elevational view, showing the elevating or tipping mechanism and the longitudinal guide rails, the elevated position of the bin as used in packing being indicated by dotted outline.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in both views.

The bin 2 is provided with a flat bottom 3 and slantingsides 4 and 5 angularly disposed toward the bottom, so that when the bottom is tilted at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal, the lower side 4 will be approximately horizontal and the upper side 5 will be approximately vertical. The ends of the bin, 6 and 1, are vertically disposed relative to the bottom. Rollers 8 and 9 are attached, respectively, near the top end corners of side 4. These are positioned and shaped to receive a rounded rail; the axis of the bearing of these rollers being parallel to side 4. Rollers II are positioned at the upper corners of side 5. They are shaped and positioned to receive a rounded rail parallel to said side, and the axes or their bearings are at right angles to said side 5.

The entire bin is supported on under carriage l2, which, in its preferred form, as herewith illustrated, consists of a rectangular frame of channel iron composed of end pieces l3 and I4 and side bars Hi. The frame is supported on springs [1, attached to axles l8 which are adjustable as to width, having the rounded end portions, carrying the wheels l9, bolted to the middle channel section 26 by bolts 2|. The bin 2 is positioned within this frame so that the bottom 3 extends below this framework, and the weight of the bin is supported by a contact with the sides of the frame. This support is afforded by the open crotch-or Y bearings 22 which receive supporting trunnions 23, attached to side 4 and the left hand ends of the bin, and angle braces 24 attached to sides 5 near ends and supported directly on frame rail l5.

While the elevating mechanism, herein illustrated, is attached to the carriage 12, it is to be understood that any similarly functioning elevating mechanism may be used, either attached to the carriage or to the line rails 31 and 38 in the shed. The form here illustrated consists of two sheave sectors 25 and 26, journaled on plates attached to approximately the center of end rail l3 and I4 respectively. Each sheave is provided with an arm l6. These carry links 2'! connecting to the bosses 28, attached to the bin ends 6 and 1, respectively, at points near the top and approximately midway between the center and the right hand edge of the end pieces. Cable 29 extends around sheave 25 and thence to the inner portion of drum 3D. A second cable 3| extends from approximately the middle of drum 30, over pulley 32 to the left hand of the carriage, as viewed in Fig. l, thence over pulley 33 to sheave sector 26, which is understood to be the left hand counter-part of the sheave sector 25. The cable drum 30 is operative by means of a worm and sector, which may be manipulated by crank 35, attached to shaft 36.

As the drum is turned, cables 29 and 3| are wound on drum 30, the sheaves 25 and 26 operating through cranks I6 and rods 21 raise the bin to the position indicated by the dotted outline in Figure 2. As the bin approaches this position the rail 31 receives rollers 8 and 9 thus lifting trunnions 23 out of bearing 22. A swingable rail 38, together with proper supports, is positioned to then receive rollers H and support the bin in the elevated position indicated. The direction of swing of this rail is indicated in dotted outline. Rods 21 may then be removed from the bell cranks l6 by the removal of cotter pins 45, and the bin will thus be free to move longitudinally along rails 31 and 38, free from the carriage [2. In order to aline rail 31 with rollers 8 and 9 a channel way 39 is provided at a pre-determined horizontal distance from the center of rail 31.

It is to be understood that the wheels IQ of carriage l2 may be a portion of a truck, or a separate trailer, and may be provided with steering knuckles, or other conventional means for steering, as well as means for attachment to a tractor or other mode of locomotion.

A gate 40, is attached by hinges 4|, to the left hand side member 4. This may be held in place vertically as indicated by the dotted lines 42, by pins 43 or swung, either inwardly or outwardly, as desirable. This gate forms a means of retaining the vegetable pack when the bin is full and first tilted to elevated position.

In operation, the bin is first placed in the lowered position on the carriage and thus transported to the field where the vegetables are to be harvested. The construction herewith illustrated permits the bin to be built so that its sides do not extend a great distance from the ground. This enables the field cutters to easily throw or otherwise place the vegetables in the bin. After thus loading, the bin is transported on the carriage l 2, to the packing shed, where it is raised by the elevating mechanism above described with one side (the right as illustrated in Fig. 2) so that the left hand side, 4, becomes a bench or table, from which trimmers or packers may remove the vegetables. In case the load is heavy and the pack of vegetables is inclined to roll easily, retaining gate 40 may be fixed in the position indicated by. the dotted lines 42, before the bin is elevated. After being placed on the rails 37 and 38, the bin may be moved longitudinally to any desired position along the packing line. The carriage I2, being removed and no longer necessary as a support for the bin, may be used to transport an empty bin of similar proportions and construction back to the field, thus several bins may be used with one carriage.

Since the bin is in the tilted position above described the vegetables slide down upon the lower side 4, which forms a bench or working table. As fast as the vegetables on this bench are removed others fill their place due to the slant of the bottom of the bin. Thus, all vegetables contained in the bin become within easy reach of the trimmers or packers. The position of gate 40 and the degree of slant regulate the flow of the pack, it being understood that some vegetables and fruits must be handled more gently and slowly than others.

It is to be understood that the use of rails 31 and 3B is optional. The bin is completely operative by the use of the carriage I2 and its depending mechanism alone. Thus in sheds not 'provided with line rails the bin is not removed from the carriage but-in case this is in the form of a trailer-it is merely un-hooked from the truck or tractor used to draw it, the bin elevated to the desired slant, and then rolled along the packing line on the wheels of the carriage.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a means for harvesting fruits and vegetables, of the class described, which will eliminate the use of field packing crates and the necessary double handling due to the use of these crates.

Having now explained the construction of my bin and its operation, I desire to claim as new and novel the following:

I claim;-

1. A portable vegetable packing bin having a bottom substantially rectangular in shape with sides slanting outward toward the top, and ends vertically disposed relative to said bottom, a gate hingedly mounted on one of said sides, means for positioning said gate at a pre-determined angle relative to said side, rollers affixed to said sides adapted to receive rails and positioned so that said bin may be moved longitudinally while in a tilted position, and means for removably attaching said bin to a wheeled carriage.

2. A portable vegetable packing bin comprising a bin-body having a substantially rectangular shape with sides outwardly extending from the bottom, means for removably attaching said bin to a wheeled carriage, said means including trunnions aflixed to one side of said bin and angle braces disposed on the opposite side thereto, in combination with a supporting carriage with wheels positioned to provide longitudinal movement, and means for receiving and supporting said bin including bearings adapted to receive the trunnions on said bin, and a frame piece adapted to receive said angle braces, and means for elevating one side of said bin while on said carriage whereby it is supported at a slant so that the lower side may be used as a packing bench, said means including sheave sectors, at each end of said carriage, coincidentally operated by power increasing mechanism to secure mechanical advantage, connected by bell cranks and links to the sides of said bin, opposite said trunnion bearings.

3. A portable vegetable packing bin having outwardly slanting sides, rollers affixed to said sides adapted to receive rails and positioned so that said bin may be moved longitudinally while in a tilted position, and means for removably attaching said bin to a wheeled carriage.

4. A portable vegetable packing bin having a bottom substantially rectangular in shape with ends vertically disposed relative thereto and sides extending therefrom at an angle greater than ninety degrees, rollers affixed to said sides adapted to receive rails whereby said bin may be moved longitudinally thereon and means for removably attaching said bin to a wheeled carriage.

BENEDICT F. REICHENBERGER. 

